Guest Column: Crist's PE plan good idea for public schools

In the Feb. 9, the editorial spoke about Gov. Charlie Crist wanting to mandate more PE time for students. This is a good idea considering all the obese children.

I fail to understand the concern of the School Board as to cost. The schools have field and gym facilities, coaches on staff now. Where is the added cost? I had an hour of PE in school, I admit some time ago. It was a nice break, basketball in the gym in bad weather, baseball outside in good weather along with other activity.

Another "mandate" should be a change in school cafeteria food, no junk food, No high sugar soft drinks.

Another item from the paper: The governor's proposed tax caps. Again, a good idea. The out-of-sight increase in property values and the added tax this created has caused a housing problem for many people who are in lowpaying jobs, driving some to homeless. It is hard enough to come up with first and last months' rent to rent a property and the added tax cost to the property owner who must pass this cost to renters to be able to pay his bills. The huge property tax on small business property is again passed on to all.

Need your mower fixed? The tax cost is passed to you in the repair.

It is time government quit spending money on useless items. Examples: Have you seen the huge guard rails placed on sidewalks with a two-inch drop off? Why do school buses make one trip to take children to grade school and come back to take another child from the same family to middle school? I went to a school that used all buses on at least two different routes. All grades rode the same bus, those on the first run played until the second run students arrived, then school started, same at the end of the school day. Saved a lot of money.